Warrington Town  v  Tamworth

Tue 9 Jan - 15:00 National League North

Warrington Town

0-3

Tamworth

Match Report

After Saturday’s victory over Buxton Andy Peaks’ table topping Lambs made the midweek trip to Cheshire to take on last season’s play-off promoted now midtable Warrington Town in a fixture rearranged from early December.
Tamworth started the game two points clear of second placed Scunthorpe United and with The Iron not playing, a win would extend the sides lead and provide a foundation ahead of Saturday’s trip to second from bottom Darlington.

Peaks made three changes to the side that ran out at the weekend as Chris Wreh had returned to parent club Hartlepool United, while Jordan Cullinane-Liburd was unavailable, and Nathan Tshikuna took a place on the bench.
​This brought in Jamie Willets into the defence along with Ben Milnes in midfield and Dan Creaney up front for the first time since 02 September.

Stradling the Manchester Ship Canal and under the bright Cantilever Park floodlights the namesake bridge behind the goal was almost indiscernible in the surrounding darkness as the teams ran out, and the home side got the match underway in front of the National League TV cameras.

A threaded pass between Acquaye, Creaney and Jellis into the box on 3 brought shouts for an early penalty when Jellis hit the deck, but the referee decided against awarding a spot kick.
Dolman’s clearance from Duggan’s right sided cross gave the home side a corner on 4 and Williams flagkick found Wisdom at the far post but his snapshot went into the side netting and a knock to Willets halted play while he received treatment.
When play resumed a foul on Jellis midway into the Warrington half gave Milnes the freekick but it was too strong for the run of Creaney to get to.
A Tonks throw on 12 was punched clear by Atherton but only as far as Jellis on the right and his drive into the box was touched, but not diverted strongly enough to open the scoring, by Creaney who had beaten the offside trap and was six yards out.
Harris was booked on 15 for a late challenge on Milnes, and a handball from the freekick as Creaney went up for the header allowed The Lambs to reposition 25 yards out with a direct chance on goal for Milnes which he took with aplomb, curling it over the wall and into the bottom left corner (0-1, 16 mins)
Finn was booked for what the referee decided was simulation following tackle on 22, and this spurred The Lambs on to press the home side into their own third but Milnes final ball into the box struck the back of a defender and was cleared.
At the other end Warrington broke through Harris and Burley-Ricketts forcing Singh to make a double stop from a left sided shot.
Tonks was able to launch another throw on 28 but despite Creaney and Willets getting heads to the ball it as cleared, however Creaney won it back and forced a throw for Tonks to try again from the opposite site but Atherton got in the way of Creaney and a goalkick resulted.
When the ball popped up for Milnes on the half hour he tried his luck from 25 yards but lifted the bouncing half volley wide of the mark, and Creaney beat the offside for force a right sided corner on 31. Atherton touched Finn’s deadball away for a corner on the opposite side, so Milnes tried again but Warrington managed the danger.
Atherton beat Willets to another Tonks throw on 36 and the offside flag denied Creaney’s run in the ensuing play.
Inside the final five of the first half, Tonks throw was punched away again by Atherton, and the return ball was blocked allowing Warrington to break but the final pass was too long.
Then, more Lambs pressure saw Jellis cross for Creaney and his header was blocked and it popped up invitingly but Curley was unable to get his header over the line and as quick as Warrington could breath, Creaney fed Jellis down the right but his shot, at the second attempt went wide of the far post.
Warrington went down to ten men when White had to change a damaged boot but was back on before The Lambs could capitalise and three minutes added time was shown.

HT 0-1

The Lambs restarted proceedings attacking the bridge end of the ground at the opposite end to the press box, and the home side tried to press in the opening exchanges but Tamworth responded and pushed back with a foul on Acquaye down the left and a Tonks throw causing problems again.
Good interplay through midfield by Jellis, Milnes and Creaney advanced The Lambs towards Atherton on 53 but White and were in no mood to be beaten at the back
However, the pressure was soon back on the home side and a Tonks throw from by his own corner flag allowed The Lambs to advance down the left and when Acquaye found Creaney he pulled it back into the box and Finn stole in to fire it under Atherton from close range and start the celebrations amongst the travelling faithful once again (0-2, 56 mins)
Warrington made a double change just past the hour, and it gave the home side a quick boost as they advanced into the area and Willets prevented Buckley-Ricketts with a timely challenge to deny his angled shot on 64.
Fairlamb then prevented Duggan’s advance with two close range tackles and Curley was booked for bringing Buckley-Ricketts down as he tried to make headway in the left channel. The resulting freekick from Williams was on target, but straight at Singh and Tamworth switched into attacking mode however Atherton was similarly well positioned from the resulting advance.
Acquaye’s 70^th minute low shot was blocked by Duggan for a corner which Milnes took and Atherton plucked out of the air, and Tonks launched another throw into the area for Creaney to head at goal and although the keeper pushed it away, Jellis was on hand to calmly but purposefully knock home the rebound (0-3, 73 mins)
Acquaye was booked for his part in the celebrations by the dugout and after the restart Woods whipped the ball into Singh’s area and the Lambs keeper had to push it away after an initial drop of the high ball.
Acquaye was inches away from making it four from Finn’s drilled centre on 76 and Peaks made two changes for the final 15 minutes or so with Willets taking over the captains armband.
Finn’s ball in from the left caused problems again on 83 and sub Tshikuna was just unable to divert it past Atherton and Williams replaced Acquaye for The Lambs final change but before he could come on the referee had a long discussion with both captains and both benches for a reason unknown to the press bench as a whole, although Acquaye was visibly unhappy with something that may have happened on the pitch prior to his withdrawal.
In his first action after coming on Williams drilled the ball across the box but it was touched away from Deacon as five minutes added time was shown.
Williams was provider again on 95 whipping the ball into the six yard box for Deacon but it was too strong for him to divert on target and Warrington escaped a fourth.
The referee had to calm things down when a fracas broke out after Tonks throw on 97, and it resulted in a red card for Duggan and yellow each for Tonks and Dolman before the final whistle blew on another Lambs victory.

Teams:

Warrington Town:
Atherton, White, Hannigan, Harris (Dixon 62), Woods, Wiliams, Amis (c.) (Clarke 76), Buckley-Ricketts, Duggan, Wisdom, Grivosti (McDonald 62)
Subs: Goudie, Walker
YC: Harris 15
RC: Duggan 97

Tamworth:
Singh, Curley, Fairlamb, Dolman, Willets, Tonks, Jellis, Milnes (c.) (Tshikuna 77), Finn, Creaney (Deacon 77), Acquaye
Subs: Williams, Gascoigne, Cockerill-Mollet
YC: Finn 22, Curley 66, Acquaye 74, Tonks 97, Dolman 97

Referee: Mr Harry Jones
Assistant: Mr Bilal Moosa, Mr. Louis Smith

Att: 963